Higher Education and Training Committee Programme

Meeting report

Adoption of Committee Minutes
To begin with, the Chairperson thanked Members for availing themselves at short notice. He noted that the Committee would first consider and adopt minutes from previous meetings and thereafter approve the draft programme for the second term.

The Chairperson tabled the minutes of the meetings held on 28 May 2009, 17 June 2009 and 26 June. He briefly explained the content of each report and proposed that the Committee approve the lot.

The Committee was satisfied that all three reports were an accurate reflection of the proceedings. As a result, Members adopted the entire set after amending all the spelling and grammatical errors. 

Adoption of Committee Programme
The Chairperson tabled the draft programme. The agenda included issues that had come out of the budget process and things that the Committee had felt would need to be taken up. The Committee would embark on a discussion around the Services Sector Education Training Authority (SETA) in terms of the sharing of responsibilities and authority between the Department of Labour and the Department of Higher Education. There would also be a discussion on the South African Qualifications Authority linked to suggestions that had been made by the Committee. An oversight visit to the University of Stellebosch was planned as Members were interested in the institution's language policy, transformation and admission policy. The programme also included interaction with the Council of Higher Education and made provision for the Committee to visit some of the country's poorer provinces such as Limpopo. The programme concluded with issues of Public Further Education and Training (FET) and annual reports.

Discussion
Mr S Hadebe (ANC) asked that Members be provided with briefing documents so that they could be grounded in terms of the issues outlined in the programme.

The Chairperson responded that the Committee had an agreement with the Department, whereby documents would be made available (to Members) at least 2 or 3 days before a meeting was scheduled. However, he acknowledged that the success of this accord was dependent on the individuals that would be making presentations to the Committee.

Mr Hadebe requested feedback regarding the Committee's oversight visit to the University of the Free State.

The Chairperson instructed the Committee Secretary to furnish Members with the report relating to that visit.

Mr Hadebe sought clarity on the reason why the Committee planned to visit Limpopo. He wondered whether the Committee was interested in finding out whether the oversight of poorer provinces was aligned with rural development policies.

Mr Fransman (ANC) responded that parliamentary researchers had conducted a study, which revealed that at least 45% of the population was illiterate at a very basic level. The intention was to have the Committee trace the progress of rural development and skills development. Both rural development and skills development could be enhanced if they were interdependent. The question was how to bring the forces and might of the state on to a small community in order to wipe out some of the problems that they would be facing.

Mr W James (DA) commented that it would be worthwhile for universities to engage with science and technology at a high level as was the case with the Square Kilometer Array Project, which South Africa was currently competing with Australia to host.

The Chairperson stated that he had read the speech of the current Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor, and had noted some of the overlapping issues. It would be desirable at some point to get a strategic presentation from the Department of Science and Technology.

Ms F Mushwana (ANC) advised the Committee to develop a tool, which would enable it to identify challenges and act as a tracking device for monitoring progress on issues of concern pertaining to programme implementation during on site inspections and oversight visits. The Committee's most important responsibility was to monitor as well as to guide.

The Chairperson replied that the education sector had inherited a legacy of problematic policies, of which the full implications were now emerging although these polices had been implemented 30 or 40 years ago.

Mr Hadebe asked whether the programme included a discussion about the reconfiguration of the education ministry into two separate departments.

The Chairperson stated that this issue could be added to the programme even though a debate would only transpire towards the latter end of August because government was currently working on a document (on this matter) and would be able to present it then.

Ms N Magazi (ANC) noted that there was a new Women’s Ministry, which was mandated to deal with gender issues. However, she suggested that the Committee incorporate the European Unions report, which was published last year, on gender transformation in education and another report on female genital mutilation into the programme.

Ms Mushwana remarked that the report was relevant to education policy because there were circumcision schools in the country and this fell under education.

A member suggested that parliamentary researchers analyse the EU report and pull out the issues that were relevant to the Committee so that they could be included in the programme for the second term.

The Chairperson agreed with this recommendation.

The Committee adopted the draft programme, noting that it might change due to future developments.

The meeting was adjourned.